Governor blames refs and umpires for lost games

Rep. Steve Becker, R-Buhler, a retired Reno County District Court judge, took issue with Gov. Sam Brownback’s caustic responses to recent rulings by state district courts on school finance and abortion and by the U.S. Supreme Court. Quoting the governor’s contention in an e-mail to Kansans that “the rule of law should always take priority over the personal political preferences of judges,” Becker responded on Facebook: “I strongly believe the rule of law also should always take priority over the political preferences of the majority. To believe otherwise means no one is protected from the rule of the majority. Following the governor’s faulty reasoning, in his world, no law could ever be found unconstitutional; the Legislature and governor could never be wrong.” Becker also wrote: “The governor is like some parents I know who blame the referees and umpires when their child loses the game. Hopefully, most of us teach our children respect of the rules and the authority of those calling the game.” – Rhonda Holman